Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Cincinnati Plans Demolition, Replacement of Campus Landmark

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/07/23

The University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio, recently announced plans to demolish and replace campus landmark Crosley Tower, according to local news. The 16-story concrete structure is set for to come down beginning in January 2026 to make room for a new academic and research facility.

The new facility is part of a $240-million project outlined in recently filed bidding documents that will rearrange and improve a variety of teaching and research spaces around campus. According to Local12 news, construction on the new building will begin in January 2027 and has an estimated completion date of June 2029.

The university’s Office of Planning+Design+Construction determined that repairs to Crosley Tower—which was built in 1969—would be too difficult, reports Cincinnati.com. The tower houses labs for chemistry and biology classes. Work will take place in three phases. The first is to abate the presence of asbestos, mercury, and lead; the second is demolition; and the third is new construction. Construction has an estimated budget of $215 million.

Local news reports that the university has been considering the decision to demolish the building for about five years. The building was at 50% capacity in 2018, when the university issued a timeframe of tearing it down within the next five to ten years. In 2020, the university reported that demolition could start as soon as 2025.

According to the bidding documents, the program’s objectives include the creation of new flexible, open-bay experimental research labs and supporting research facilities; new flexible teaching labs; new standardized researcher and faculty offices; new general-purpose, centrally scheduled classrooms; and student success and collaboration spaces.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.